Clapboardiwg-gage



UNITE STES HENRY D. VANDERCOOK, OF MARSHALL, MICHIGAN.

cLAPBoAnDINe-GAGE.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY D. VANDER- oooK, of the city of Marshall, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Tool for the Use of Carpenters, which I denominate an Adjustable Clamping Gage; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, true, and exact description of its construction and mode of operation, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is, a perspective view, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section.

Similar letters are used to indicate corresponding parts, in both figures.

This tool is intended to facilitate the fitting and attaching of clapboards to buildings, and the better to enable others skilled in this particular branch, to con-v struct and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it.

This tool consists of only two principal parts, connected by a thumbscrew and washer. One of these parts, which I designate the clamping stock, is exhibited at A. It is a blade of steel of sufficient thickness and width to confer all the requisite strength, and yet allow of a proper degree of elasticity. The upper end b,is slightly chamfered and the edges rounded off, and the lower half is bent outwardly as seen in Fig. l, and is provided at the lower end with a handle H which is rmly riveted or otherwise secured to it. A steel spur c is securely inserted in the attached end of the handle H and projects outwardly beyond the stock, for the purpose of dogging it to the clapboard.

D is a metal stud, of a suitable form and length, which is rigidly fastened to the middle of the clamping stock, for the purpose of forming a gage stop, and also to receive t-he adjustable gage stem G which is* attached to it at a proper distance apart, by a thumbscrew E, and interposing washer.

The gage stem G, is a thin blade of steel like A but somewhat longer, and with a slot s, like the blade of an ordinary bevel, for adjusting it by means of the thumbscrew (which passes through the slot) to any required height. The upper part of G is bent atright angles so as to form an oiset which I term the guard, as seen at c, for receiving and holding the piece of clapboard, to be fitted and nailed to the building.

In Fig. 2, F represents a broken section of studding, to which the clapboards I, I are nailed, and J exhibits a piece of clapboard (broken off) in the guard c, ready to be fitted in place.

The outer line of the corner board and face casings of the building, is indicated by the dotted line m.

The common mode of fitting clapboards, or siding to buildings, is to mark with coinpassed on the fastened course, the width to weather and then drive in tack nails to hold up the next course while being fitted and nailed. This practice, besides being laborious and consuming much time, is really detrimental to the building; for owing to the intervening space between the board and framing where these guide nails are driven, they are almost sure to splinter the wood, and leave bad jagged holes, when they are withdrawn.

By the use of my clamping gages, the use of tack nails is entirely dispensed with, and the clapboards are fitted and nailed on to a building with great facility, accuracy and despatch, in the following manner.

Two courses of clapboards having been attached to a building in the ordinary way, I adjust two of these gages, by means of the thumbscrew, so that the distance from t-he stud D to the shoulder of the guard c, shall be the proper distance to weather; then, by one or more fingers inserted through the ring of the handle H, I push the blade of the clamping stock A between the two nailed courses until the stud D strikes against the lower edge of the upper clapboard, when I dog l it to the lower clapboard by a slight tap on the handle, which drives the short spur C into the wood. In order to effect this the lower end of the gage stem must be sprung outwardly so that when it is dogged fast, it will assume the form as indicated in Fig. 2, and as the handle passes freely through the slot, there is no strain on the gage stem, or any danger of displacing it, by pulling on, or tapping the handle of the clamping stock A. The other gage having been adjusted in a similar manner, I take the length of clapboard to be fitted and insert it between the guards so that it rests on the shoulders, when the spring of the blade holds it firm against, the casing. It is then scribed, withdrawn, cut off to the scribe marks and replaced between the guards, when it is nailed fast. The two gages are now drawn out from between the being scribed, itted and nailed; by means clapboards by the handles and inserted in of the clamping stock A and attachments, in the same manner just described, between the combination with the adjustable gage stem new courses, ready to receive the neXt length, Gr, constructed and used substantially in 5 and so on until the building is completely the manner, as herein described and set forth. l5

inclosed.

That I claim as my invention, and desire HENRY D VANDERCOOK' to secure by Letters Patent, is Witnesses:

The mode of holding clapboards, in true EDWARD S. LAWRANCE,

l0 parallel lines, to a building While they are Y GEORGEv JOHNSON. 

